OA-Tunbridge Wells (OA-TW) has expanded its Tier 2 outreach programme, providing earlier intervention and targeted support for students at risk of disengaging from mainstream education.
The programme first launched in November 2025, offering Year 7 and Year 8 students the chance to attend OA-TW one day a week. This space allowed pupils to explore personal and academic challenges in a supportive setting, helping them build strategies for successful reintegration into their mainstream schools. The programme also strengthened collaboration with local secondary schools, ensuring that interventions reflected the realities faced by students outside alternative provision.
Following this early success, we expanded in January 2026 to run two Tier 2 groups: one for Year 7/8 students and another for Year 9/10 students. The younger group focused on developing assertiveness, self-expression, and respectful communication, while the older group brought together students experiencing disengagement from learning and vulnerabilities outside school, offering more targeted support to address barriers to education.
Looking ahead to May 2026, we will launch two additional Tier 2 groups for Year 9 and Year 10 students who are at a crisis point in their education.
- The first group will support Year 9 students who may otherwise require Tier 3 placements next year. Students will attend two days per week and take part in academic learning, social and therapeutic support, and outdoor learning activities. The focus is on identifying challenges early while strengthening self-regulation and engagement.
- The second group is aimed at a cohort of Year 9 girls from two local schools who need a more intensive, supportive space away from their mainstream setting. Their two-day programme will include a therapeutic day and an outdoor learning day.
This growth represents significant progress from the programme’s initial launch with just three Year 7/8 students. The long-term aim is to continue developing Tier 2 provision, bringing together academic and therapeutic expertise across the academy to intervene early, prevent permanent exclusions, and support local schools with effective interventions that improve student outcomes.
Schools interested in learning more about OA-TW's outreach offer can email info.tunbridgewells@oliveacademies.org.uk or call 01892 519841.